The study of Insula 5 in Regio V, is aimed at clarifying the historical development of the architecture and urban layout of an area of the town that has been largely overlooked, situated in the north-eastern quadrant of the town, a few tens of metres from the line of the fortifications and facing directly onto the Via di Nola.

In 2004 the first trenches were excavated with the aim of defining the construction phases of the entire insula. In fact, past excavations in neighbouring areas had demonstrated that the entire area, occupied from the Bronze Age onwards, had been enclosed in the archaic period by the primitive curtain wall in pappamonte stone. In 1947 Maiuri had trial trenches dug in various parts of the house, “with the aim of ascertaining the existence of structures pre-dating the construction of the house”. Therefore, the object of the campaign in September 2004 was to reopen Maiuri’s trenches and expose the pappamonte structure in order to define its dimensions and the absolute levels, as they had not been documented in the meagre excavation report of 1947. The aim was also to directly observe the structures and describe them in detail. Furthermore, the reopening of the trench would make it possible to check the stratigraphy, only sketchily described, and look for elements useful for defining the relative and absolute chronology of the pappamonte structure and of the other structures identified by the preceding excavation. It must be stated that it was not possible to widen the trench as there was the risk of further compromising the already precarious state of preservation of the opus signinum paving in the peristyle (b) and room (f) and the stability of the peristyle colonnade and surrounding structures.

The trenches below the south portico of the peristyle (b) led to the discovery of a substantial structure in pappamonte blocks, which numerous fragments of associated pottery dated to the beginning of the 6th century B.C. This structure was in use until the end of the 5th century B.C. and was partially destroyed during the successive construction phases of the Insula, when the entire area was divided into regular lots, on which the houses were built.